Refrigerator-door latch.



0. W. CLARK. REFRIGERATOR DOOR LATCH. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 2, 1912.. RENEWED MAR. 28, 1914.

Patented June 16, 1914.

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CHRISTIAN W. CLARK, OF UNION, NEBRASKA.

REFRIGERATOR-DOOR LATCH.

Application filed March 2, 1912, Serial No. 681,242.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CHRISTIAN IV. CLARK, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Union, in the county of Cass and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Refrigerator-Door Latches, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the pensive nature and of a neat and durable construction which shall be capable of convenient and accurate adjustment in position upon a refrigerator door, in a manner permitting the door being readily opened and closed by means of a handle bar and a lifting bar, to hold the door to the jamb in a spring pressed condition.

With these and other objects in view, the present invention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described and finally pointed out in the appended claims, it being further understood that changes in the specific structure shown and described may be made within the scope of the claims,without departing from the spirit of the inven tion.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and in which like numerals of reference indicate similar parts in the several views :-Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a latch embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a section on line 2, 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is the section on line 3, 3 of Fig. 2.

In my present invention, I aim to provide a latch especially adapted to be used in connection with refrigerator doors so constructed that the latch will force the door against its j amb and hold the same in spring pressed condition to insure an air tight union of the door with the surrounding frame.

In carrying out the aim of my invention, I employ an oblong base plate, having a laterally extending arm 8, this arm being located intermediate of the ends of the base plate, and ending in an apertured bearing lug 9. Held within this hearing lug is the pin 10. Near the upper end, the base plate 6 is provided with the outstanding tubular Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 16, 1914.

Renewed March 28, 1914. Serial No. 828,105.

boss 21, having parallel running slots 20, shown in Fig. 3. The bore of this tubular boss 21 is continued through the base plate 6, as is shown in Fig. 2. Extending outward from the lower ends of the base plate 6, and in alinement with the slots 20, within the tubular boss 21, are the ears 2 holding the pin 3. Pivotally secured to the pin 3 is the latch lever 11, which is slightly crooked,

as is shown at 13, and ends in the handle 14. This fiat lever 11 passes through the boss 21 and reciprocates within the slots thereof. In Fig. 2 I have shown the lever 11 in cross section, as held within the slot 26. Secured near the handle end of the lever 11 is the pin 1, and this pin 4: gives pivotal support to an L shaped lifting lever 16, to the lower end of which is secured the connecting rod 17, the lower end of which extends through an eye 19, formed at the end of the latch bar 18, which is pivotally held upon the bearing lug 9 and pin 10, as clearly shown in Fig. 2.

In Figs. 1 and 2 I have shown a fragmentary portion of a refrigerator door A. To this door A is secured the base plate 6, by means of the screws 7, 7, and 7, 7. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the latch bar 18 extends a suitable distance beyond the edge of the refrigerator door A, and is arranged to co-act with the-hook 25, projecting from the base plate24, secured to the refrigerator by means of the screws 9.

In Fig. 2, I have shown a sectional view through the refrigerator door, to the rear of which is secured the jamb member 6, to which in turn is secured the inner back 5 of the door, as is usual in refrigerator construction. The outer face of the frame member 6 extends obliquely and is arranged to lie against the oblique outer face of the inner jamb member 1. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the outer frame member of the refrigerator box is marked B, and the inner refrigerator frame members 1 and 2.

The base member 6 is secured near the edge of the refrigerator door, as is shown in Fig. 1, but before securing the base plate 6, a coil spring 22 is placed into the tubular boss 21, and this spring is of a length greater than the length of the boss, so that when inserted, the spring will be compressed, resulting in the spring 22 normally forcing the lever 11 outward to hold the same within the end of the tubular boss in spring pressed condition. The spring 22 as shown in Fig.

3, rests upon the refrigeratorrdoor A. The hook 25 is placed in alinement with the door latch 18. v

In closing the refrigerator door, the operator grasps the handle 14, and closes the refrigerator door. closed, the lever 11 must be manually manipulated to carry the same inward a suflicient distance so that after the door has been securely closed the latch bar 18 may be brought into engagement with the hook 25. This results in the spring 22 forcing the lever 11, and the connecting bar 18 outward against the end of the hook 25 resulting in the spring 22 forcing the refrigerator door inward against its j amb and insuring an air tight connection of the door with the jamb. In order to open the door, the operator must raise the lifting lever 16, so that the spring pressed latch bar is carried out of engagement with the detent or hook 25. The door can then be readily opened. These latches are made right handed or left handed, so that they can be secured adjacent to the vertical edge upon the right side or left side of the refrigerator door. These latches are further made in various sizes, are simple and inexpensive in construction, and both durable and efficient in operation, and a door equipped wit-h one of my latches can be closed or opened with ease, accuracy and despatch in a manner insuring the door being held to its j amb in air tight condition.

Having thus described my said invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is:

1. An oblong base plate having a laterally extending arm intermediate of its ends, ending in an apertured bearing lug, said plate having an outstanding tubular boss near the upper end, having parallel running slots, pin ears extending from the lower end of said base plate, in alinement with the slots of said boss, a pin within said ears, a latch lever held within said slots having its lower end secured to said pin, the upper end of said lever ending in a handle, a slot located After the door has been.

near the lower end of said lever, a latch bar pivoted to said bearing lug and passing through said lever slot, provided near its outer end with an apertured eye, an L- shaped pivotally secured lifting lever pivoted adjacent to the handle of said lever, and a rod connecting said lifting lever to said latch bar eye.

2. An oblong base plate having a laterally extending arm intermediate of its ends, ending in an apertured bearing lug, said plate having an outstanding tubular boss near the upper end, having parallel running slots, pin ears extending from the lower end of said base plate, in alinement with the slots of said boss, a pin within said ears, a latch lever held within said slots having its lower end secured to said pin, the upper end of said lever ending in a handle,a slot located near the lower end of said lever, a latch bar pivoted to said bearing lug and passing through said lever slot, provided near its outer end with an apertured eye, an L-shaped pivotally secured lifting lever pivoted adjacent to the handle of said lever, a rod extending from said lifting lever to said eye and a spring within said tubular boss to yieldingly hold said latch lever.

3. In combination, a base plate having an apertured bearing lug and an outstanding tubular slotted boss, a latch lever held within the slots of said boss and having one end pivot-ally secured to said plate said latching lever having an opening, a lifting lever pivoted to said latching lever, a latch bar secured to said lug and passing through the opening within said latching lever, aspring within said boss to force said latching lever outward, and a rod extending from said lifting lever to said latch bar.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

CHRISTIAN W. CLARK.

l/Vitnesses D. LYNN, G. P. BARTON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. G. 

